Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Respect Life Month

Saints: Saint Paulinus (-644); Saint Daniel Comboni (1831-1881)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 7:62-70 Humility

Mass: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1; Resp Ps 113; Lk 11:29-32

Praise, you servants of the Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

MARY, QUEEN OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY,

SAINT JOSEPH, DEFENDER OF LIFE,

PRAY FOR US.

Every time you begin a good work, you must pray to Him most earnestly to bring it to perfection.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 4)

Welcome to Monday faithful readers. Saint Benedict's words above from the Prologue of the Holy Rule come to mind, so why not let our holy father help us begin another week. Even though we are ending his chapter on humility, the words are not entirely unrelated to how Saint Benedict concludes that chapter. "After ascending all these steps of humility [all twelve of them!], the monk will arrive at that perfect love of God which casts out fear." Benedict continues, "Through this love, all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort, as though naturally, from habit, no longer out of fear of hell, but out of love for Christ, good habit and delight in virtue" (RB 7:67-69). Out of love for Christ then, as we go through life descending by exaltation and ascending by humility (see RB 7:7), every time we begin a good work, we must pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfection. May all good work that we do come naturally, out of habit and delight in virtue. Heart of Jesus, source of all good, have mercy on us. And may your blessed Mother Mary, help of all Christians, help us be doers of the word and not hearers only ... not hearers who forget but doers who act. Such a one shall be blessed in what he does (see James 1:22, 25).

Those who want to work for moral reform in the world must seek the glory of God before all else. Because He is the source of all good, they must wait for His help, and pray for it in this difficult and necessary undertaking. They must then present themselves to those they seek to reform, as mirrors of every virtue and as lamps on a lampstand. Their upright lives and noble conduct must shine before all who are in the house of God.

(From a letter to Pope Paul V by Saint John Leonardi, priest, in Office of Readings, October 9)

SAINT PAULINUS,

SAINT DANIEL COMBONI,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: High above the nations is the Lord; above the heavens is His glory.

© Gertrude Feick 2022